Profession - apart from being a mother, which we know is a full time job, what did you do before you had children.. and do you feel like your work life has influenced your life as a mother.

I was an actress, AM an actress, I’m keen not to abandon it entirely but the industry is going through a lot of change and its been a good point to step aside and look at it from a different perspective. Acting is pretty unpredictable like parenting.

Creative expression is so rooted in who I am as a person, and that in itself cannot be ignored or put aside, I think that creative immersion and imagination is key too, to problem solving as a parent and being quite resourceful, and that resourcefulness in turn, lends itself well to life on set too.

Acting is pretty unpredictable like parenting. I am only welcoming of the experiences that motherhood lends me, and coming at it from a creative background only gives me more of an excuse to be comfortable around the mess.

I know you recently directed a short film, which you also wrote. Would you like to move into directing or do you prefer being in front of the camera?

This particular film is something I couldn’t put into someone else’s hands, I had a near impermeable vision of how I wanted it to look, and being an only child myself, I wasn't happy to share or compromise on that! Its been a fascinating experiment to watch a vision come to life on my terms.

I'm not used to having that level of control in my work and its very satisfying. I can’t say I’m going to be multi-award winning in either discipline but since they both inform each other, why not do both?

“..it touches something base and primal and raw at the very center of yourself and it's been something amazing discovering a strength and a power and an intuition that I don’t think I knew existed prior to children.”

Name: Sophie Colquhoun (I prefer my maiden name though both are pretty unpronounceable)
Age: 34
Children's names and ages: Clementina, 5, Kit, 3, and Astrid 5 months

Has becoming a mother changed you? I felt like it brought me back to who I am at my core. Which was wonderful and really hard at the same time. It cut through all the layers, reminding me of what’s important.
How have you found you’ve changed within yourself?

Oh yes, a million times over. But I’d argue it’s been more a journey of self-discovery, it’s not that I’ve necessarily changed who I was. As you suggest Ruth, it touches something base and primal and raw at the very centre of yourself and its been something amazing discovering a strength and a power and an intuition that I don’t think I knew existed prior to children. Sometimes that’s overwhelming and terrifying- I have been known on occasion to wallow in the bath, wondering HOW I’ve been given this monumental responsibility for these little people, and then wondering how could I NOT mess this up.

There are so many roads to go down and so many choices to make, and yet so much isn’t a choice at all - I think it's forced me to be very present- kids misbehave, accidents happen, plans change- how you react in the moment is an intuitive, very true, honest response- I’ve learnt to trust myself in that respect. That’s not to say I get it right every time, and oh god help me when I get to the teenage years, but I’m very proud of myself, in a way I don’t think I’ve let myself be in the past.

I completely respect that it isn’t for everyone, but I longed for motherhood from a remarkably young age, and its been a relief and a privilege to be here doing it.

I have felt a real draw to re-wild, both within myself and the world. I feel like it's essential to pass this onto my daughter somehow. I've not figured out yet how to though, within the constraints of a city.
What's your view on re-wilding?

It depends what you view as ‘rewilding’, whether that’s something practical - like being out in nature or being in touch with themselves- for me its the latter and it comes down to imagination, imagination, imagination. You can throw all the toys in the world at the problem but ultimately that ‘rewilding’ is going to come from within. I

think it's about letting them do their thing- creating the space for expressing themselves doesn’t have to be done in a wild meadow in the Swiss alps singing that the Hills Are Alive - (though of course it helps!) it can be done with a pile of pillows or a bucket of water and no agenda, I also try my hardest not to tell them to be quiet- to let them know they have a voice and it is valid, but I must also recognise our neighbours probably hate me for it and I'm the first to admit that taking the family to a restaurant is a constant threat to my inner calm!!

We also feel quite strongly in our family, the importance of travelling - the more differing, alien and far-flung the better; experiencing other cultures and ways of life is, I think, a good way of learning ultimately where we fit in the world.

“The design of this collection focuses on a mix of clean cut geometric textures, graphic lines and symbolic looking shapes, that can be large in size yet remain light and easy to wear.”

Raising a child in London can be both incredible and challenging. How do you find having a family here, and what do you do to flourish?

Hmmm. This is a tricky one, because the urge I feel to drag us all to live in the Scottish highlands right now is undeniably strong. But I think its helpful to see things in chapters- right now this is where we are, so how do we make the best of it?

Well, we have our friends, and London is so full of life, and so full of opportunities that sometimes the choice is pretty overwhelming, and we have the most amazing parks on our doorsteps that change every day with the weather and the seasons.

For our family its about mixing it up as much as possible whilst really seeing what’s in front of you (and possibly planning our next adventures out of the city!)

 

How do you find your peace, living in a city, looking after a family, generally being so busy.. do you find peace at all ? If yes, how do you find that for yourself?

Um, no, not really, I think these days that energetic and often frantic tempo is my natural rhythm. Since there’s never enough hours in the day, I have perpetually itchy feet (metaphorically speaking) and don’t really enjoy massages which is REALLY annoying, because I suppose that would be an obvious one.

These days sanctuary comes in dual purpose- a taxi that I don’t have to share, wasting a full 10 minutes on my own in the condiments section at the supermarket, a run along the river with my husband in silent company, or a quiet coffee in the garden while the baby sleeps. Simple pleasures, usually quiet ones. When I start taking my camera out and shooting odd bits of shadow, that’s when you know I’m not doing something I should be.


List your top 3 favourite weekend activities that you enjoy doing with your children.

A weekend away somewhere wild and woolly, most recently Pembrokeshire, on the beach. Walking in the fresh air, collecting pocketfuls of stones and spending half an hour getting into wetsuits in the rain only to decide its too cold and “I need the loo!!” Haha!

If we’re home in London this probably involves being outside somewhere or attempting to snuggle up and watch a matinee which doesn’t actually involve sitting or snuggling really at all, but rather more clambering over each other and being tickled and then kicked in the face by an unsupposing foot and then tears.

It's textbook stuff. We tend to avoid museums at weekends but do enjoy watching daddy get steadily colder as he attempts to swim in the Serpentine and we sip hot chocolate. Whatever we do, we do it together wherever possible.


In three words, can you sum-up with it means to you to be a mother. Not on a practical level, but an emotional/ spiritual one.

Unrelenting, powerful, expansive.

When exploring the colourful and ancient Medina of Marrakech, you can see why Talitha Getty, Yves Saint Laurent and other fabulous characters flocked here in the 60s and 70s. Around every corner is a new delight for the senses, intricate architecture, hidden riads and a feeling of continuity of history.

This collection is named after Sirocco, which comes from the warm, dry wind that travels up from Africa and through the Sahara desert. The sirocco winds could be felt while shooting and reflected the idea of freedom, which is a core value at Zoe & Morgan.

The design of this collection focuses on a mix of clean cut geometric textures, graphic lines and symbolic looking shapes, that can be large in size yet remain light and easy to wear.

We have used some of our favourite stones like Chrome Diopside – a beautiful bright green stone that captures an emerald like feel, and Brown Zircon which we love, as it’s the oldest material dated from this planet. In the Middle Ages, this gemstone was believed to help the wearer with sleep, bring riches, honor, and wisdom.

The pieces of this collection were designed to be worn together, or layered with your other treasured Zoe & Morgan jewels.

Morgan travelled across Morocco with a small team to shoot Sirocco, “It was a delight to work with our lovely model and friend Melody Marsh, alongside our long time collaborator Philly Piggot, who styled the shoot. We used all vintage clothing from the 70s, and it was a fun adventure to travel around together to capture some beautiful images”.